


It’s Time For Me To Give Them Back

by AnnaFay



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Male-Female Friendship, This Is The Way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:01:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21976993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnaFay/pseuds/AnnaFay
Summary: “You are a good friend, Din Djarin.” She leaned closer and touched her forehead against his with her eyes closed.“If you say so,” he murmured hesitantly, but did not pull away. He never pulled away.
Relationships: The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 32





	It’s Time For Me To Give Them Back

“Get out! You are not welcome here,” spat the Healer of the Tribe.

“It’s all right, I’ve sent for him.” Tia raised her voice so that whoever else was standing on the other side of the curtain would hear it loud and clear and let Din pass.

Sure enough, after only a moment of heavy silence, there came the shuffling of feet, an unfriendly murmur and the clank of metal as shoulder went against shoulder, before the curtain finally got moved to the side.

She could get a glimpse of people standing outside before Din let the curtain fall back to its place. They seemed to have moved back a few paces, but that was all the privacy they were willing to give them. She didn’t mind. She almost wanted them to hear what she had to say.

In fact, she had a whole speech prepared both for him and for them, but seeing Din freeze and stare made the words stuck in her throat for second.

It was all the time he needed to snap out of it. With three long strides he got beside her bed, where he went down on his knees without hesitation. “Please, forgive me,” he said, and his voice sounded unlike his own.

She knew he would say this, and she knew what she would say in return. “There’s nothing to forgive.” she whispered. 

His back went rigid, but he dared not contradict her. He kept his head bent and his fingers touching the ground, fanned out in front of him.

“You have saved my life,” she added, her voice feeling only slightly stronger.

He raised his head, but didn’t speak.

He had been but a boy when she had last seen his face, but she knew the look his helmet kept hidden from her. “You have,” she said, trying to ignore her own ghostly reflection staring back at her from his visor. “You are a good friend, Din Djarin.” She leaned closer and touched her forehead against his with her eyes closed.

“If you say so,” he murmured hesitantly, but did not pull away. He never pulled away.

Too bad the gesture didn’t give the same comfort it used to now that it was her skin against the beskar of his helmet. If anything, it made her heart ache and the wound on her neck and shoulder stretch painfully.

“I do.” She sat up gingerly. “That’s why I have sent for you. There’s something I need you to do for me.”

“Anything,” he said right away, raising himself higher on his knees, and there it was again, her reflection in his visor.

Swallowing hard, she turned her head to the other side, towards the corner in which her helmet and pieces of armor were sitting on a low table. Someone had been considerate enough to cover them with a piece of cloth, but they were still very much there.

“It’s time for me to give them back,” she said as evenly as she could. “I would like you to be the one who takes it to the Forgery for me.”

His silence made her briefly wonder if he still chewed his lips when thinking hard. Because she could tell he was thinking hard about how to go back on his promise about doing anything for her. She almost quoted the Canons of Honor for him, but realised with a sinking heart, that he took that away from her too when he took her helmet.

“As you wish,” he agreed with a nod just as she was going to say please.

He lingered for a moment longer, then stood from beside her and walked over to the table. Tia sat back against her pillow and watched him collecting her things one by one for as long as she could. And when she could no longer do that, she averted her eyes and concentrated on her breathing. 

Luckily, he worked quickly and was soon standing by the foot of the bed again, with her helmet and armor bundled up in the cloth. She felt him watch her in silence for some time, but she needed a moment to be able to return his gaze.

At least she was no longer in danger of seeing her reflection, because she could hardly see him through her tears that somehow refused to spill.

“I’m sorry,” Din said heavily, not ready to leave yet.

“Yes,” she whispered. “Me too.”

The Canons were clear about her position. Once she had her helmet removed, she was not to put it back on again. Not to carry more than two pieces of weaponry on her person. Not to set foot in the Forgery, let alone work with beskar. She could stay with the Tribe, but only as an outsider.

With him, on the other hand, people didn’t know what to do.

He didn’t win over her in a fair fight. He acted upon instinct and saved her from a horrific death when he tore off her helmet and removed as much of the molten metal from her neck and jaw as he could after the explosion. It was something to be frowned upon, because he robbed her of life within the Tribe, but there was to be no act of revenge for her lost honor.

He was to be allowed to stay, even if no longer truly respected.

“Go,” she said, then took a deep breath and sat a little straighter. “But come back tomorrow. I’ll draw you the design of your new helmet so that you may find someone else to finish it for you if you like.”

“I will,” he agreed before taking a slow step back, then turning on his heels and walking out.

They both knew no self-respecting armorer would work with another’s design, but it was kind of him not call her out on it just yet.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.  
> It's been ages since I've last published anything, but I still love reviews. :)


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